A Plight of Fancy
by EagleCeres
Summary: When Keitaro came back from his trip to America with Seta, the ladies of the Hinata dorm found a changed man. What if his mentor was not the driving influence during his time away? And what if one of these interests decided to follow him back home?
1. Ch1: This Could Really be the Good Life

Disclaimer: Borrowing the characters, setting and scenery from the owners, any Original Characters that spawn from here are mine, tho probably inspired by others from other fandoms. I'm not making a red cent off this belligerent attempt at writing, so don't bother getting the lawyers. Comments and constructive critiques are always welcome and encouraged, flames and troll bait will be recycled for future use.

Before we start I want to give thanks to Ordo (sorry that I took your original idea and drove it so far off the intended course) and also to the great and injustice dispensing Lord Raa. Thank you both for your comments, questions, concerns and feedback. And now, on with the show.

* * *

**A Plight of Fancy**

_Chap. 1 - This Could Really Be The Good Life_

Karma, Dharma and other mystical qualities of the universe can be fickle lovers at times. Sometimes very caring and doting of people, often times cold and castigating. As many may attest to it, the old saying "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" rings true for paupers as much as it does for royalty.

Keitaro Urashima is undeniably a man of fortune, although the specific type and quality of said fortune is still under debate. Some say he's one lucky sonofa... although most people that know him and his circumstances just pity him and commend his soul to Amida Buddha in hopes of one day reaching enlightenment and/or paradise.

Although, things had started going more his way as of late. Recent good deeds he had realized for those close to him, since the start of summer, had borne the fruit of good fortune for him. His tenants (and young lady-friends) at the Hinata Dorm had not just warmed up to him, but had been more lenient and accepting of his accident prone self. His mentor and Tokyo University archaeology teacher Noriyasu Seta had offered him a chance of a lifetime, accompanying him to America as an assistant and help as his attache in archeological digs with pay and, most importantly, scholastic credits toward his degree in Archaeology.

After missing his first semester of superior studies due to medical reasons, he could not let this opportunity go. Regretfully, this meant he had to leave his friends and family in Japan for one full semester. His (unrequited) crush was the first (and loudest) to voice out her complaints about him leaving their makeshift little family; and while the other young ladies also voiced their reasons for not accepting his decision, they finally did let him leave on this grand adventure away from them.

Adapting to the American University life was a bit of a culture shock, but he eventually fit in better than most exchange students. The archaeological visits he was allowed to attend were limited to dig sites in the states of California, Washington, Montana, Colorado, Arizona and Texas, he felt richer for the overall experience: getting both to work and network with his American peers and teachers, and being able to garner additional support for his mentor during their periodic treks in search of ruins of the long lost Turtle civilization at beach-side locations.

During his off time, he had become somewhat popular fellow among the students of the anthropology and archaeology department at the University of California - Los Angeles campus, often enjoying the rowdy campus life during local sports events. And, more often than not, getting the chance to "study" the modern culture of the City of Angels, Sin City and other nearby cities with the help of new friends and colleagues.

Thanks to said new friendships, his sense of style had eventually matured some. While still mostly clothing himself with "geek-chic" attire during daily activities, he had branched out to both more utilitarian clothes for the digs and some high couture for his social outings. Some would say he took after his mentor; although the older gent favored the shirt and slacks combinations with a lab coat all the time, while the student saved those outfits for special occasions.

Regretfully, not all was champagne wishes and caviar dreams for the young ex-ronin. During one of said social outings, he had bumped into an acquaintance he had long forgotten about and would never expect cross paths again with, especially at a high class pub in uptown Los Angeles.

"Ka-Kanzaki-san... what a p-pleasant s-surprise bumping into y-you... in America" responded the nervous Japanese man; trying to keep a low profile while his friends gave him some space on what they believed was his first formal attempt at courting a very attractive young lady.

"Keitaro Urashima, my how time has flown" responded the nubile young lady. Baring long blonde curls and dressed in a tight fitting knee length skirt, with a silk blouse showing very pronounced cleavage; and followed by a slightly salacious smirk on her lips as she looked her prey up and down appreciatively. "I see the years have been VERY kind to you... and I'm so glad you ditched the coke bottle glasses, the new frames are very fetching."

"Just trying out something new, my prescription recently changed and my friends recommended I change it up a little." noticing his friends had either paired off or began their own conquests of the opposite sex, he was left to attend with his acquaintance.

"Yes, yes... remind me to thank them next time we get together, hmm?" leaning in for a friendly hug, she pressed her substantial assets against his chest while whispering in his ear softly, not unlike a selfish lover getting back together with an estranged beau "I knew biding my time would get me better results from you."

"Um... Kanzaki-san... not that I don't appreciate the attention... but" he gulped audibly as he tried to pull away from the seductive woman _'jeeze!, and I thought Kitsune asking for an extension on the rent was pretty blatant'_ "You shouldn't be so forward, especially in such a public setting"

"Why shouldn't I be? Besides..." pulling back slightly to wink at him playfully "Americans are MUCH more relaxed and uncaring about public displays of affection" then proceeding to pout so sickeningly sweet, some of the people looking at them would have felt their blood sugar go up "And didn't I tell you last time to call me by my given name?"

"Yes, Himawari-san..." he responded with a barely restrained, yet frustrated sigh _'I thought Granny and I had taken care of this issue… years ago.'_

"It's been over six years Kei-sama" the end that suffix was infused with a little lust and longing "one would be lead to believe she was being ignored."

"No, no... I could never ignore you, Himawari-san, he, he" Pulling back a bit from him, she twirled around playfully and letting him get a good look at her. "You... You look fantastic!"

Preening at his undivided attention "I'm glad you STILL know how to pay a lady a complement" then waited on him to continue stroking her ego.

"I'm sorry I haven't been in contact lately, I've had to deal with family issues the last few years" he smiled back to the young lady apologetically while thinking _'I could really use another of Seta-san's Turtle Civilization digs... right about now'_

"Indeed..." dismissing his excuse as small talk, she got down to brass tacks "since you are this side of the Pacific, should I be lead to believe you finally give up on that TouDai daydream and finally decided to live like the clan heir you are?"

"Actually... I did get in" wincing a bit as she seemed to bristle at his response "I'm currently working through an exchange student program" smiling back with a bit of confidence hoping she wouldn't dig into his story "What about you, Himawari-san what brings you to the City of Angels?"

"Moi?, Papa wanted me to accompany him around town and represent him at events and meetings, while he addressed other recent acquisitions..." she sniffed proudly "seriously, he should just let me take over the family business already!" then once again leaning into him and wrapping her arms around his neck possessively, indicating to any other female nearby that he was off limits. "But you know how old fashioned he is... he just won't let me take over until I'm happily married."

"Yeah... he is VERY traditional" pausing for a moment to take deep breath "but he IS a caring father that wants what's best for his daughter" nervously making face gestures at his friends to help him get away from her while she was distracted _'and what's best for YOU that should NOT be me!'_

"You know Kei-sama... we could sneak out and have some quality time… together" she purred against his ear, edging him to take her up on her offer.

"I would love to accompany you, Himawari-san" she gulped nervously as she pulled back to look into his eyes, hoping he would accept her invitation and what it implied "regretfully… I'll be heading out of town early tomorrow morning to address some school business" sighing in mock regret as one of his friends made visible hand gestures as if they were leaving soon.

"Oh, Poo! Just as I had thought we could celebrate our Grand Reunion" sighing wistfully as she noticed his entourage getting ready to leave. "I guess I'll have to let you go THIS time, Kei-sama" only to get up close and personal and pecking him lightly on the lips. "Don't be a stranger!"

His only response was a curt nod to her, followed by him walking off with his friends as they left the locale.

The young lady sighed with slight frustration, only to break out a Machiavellian smile.

"You will be mine Kei-sama, Oh Yes... You WILL be mine".

* * *

The shade of a good tree can always help in reaching a nice peaceful vibe, especially if you need to cram for exams or just relax after being hit with news you would rather have not heard. Today though, Keitaro Urashima was using the cover to hide from acquaintances while working on redacting enough of what looked like the bastard child of a last Will and Testament and a Light Novel.

"Hey Kei!... hiding from your Super Model Stalker-Girlfriend again?" asked a young man as he and a group of his friends walked up to Keitaro.

"How many times do I have to repeat myself?" sighing as he looked up from his notes to greet his frat brothers mimicking his, by now, automatic response to the question. "She's not my girlfriend, Ben-san" only to earn groans from a few of them.

"Coulda fooled me Kei… I mean seriously" another friend in the group followed up with a proud pose of a fist raised to the sky "why are you NOT hitting THAT like the fist of an angry god? you should just let her drag you off to God knows where and let her have her way with you" earning a few raised eyebrows.

"Don't let Nicole-san hear you say stuff like that Mike-san, or you'll be in the dog house for another month" countered Kei, earning a few laughs from his frat brothers and a few of the female students nearby suddenly interested in the popular exchange student.

"BUUUUUURN!" followed by a fist bump from Ben "Anyway, you ready for this weekend's Turtle hunting session?"

"That's THIS weekend?" seeing nods from some of his peers he whined "Craaap! I've been so busy lately with mid-terms that I forgot to sign up!"

"Oh come on Kei, like Professor Seta won't hook up his prized pupil" earning a teasing smirk from Mike.

"Hey! I've never asked for preferential treatment, besides" earning Keitaro quiet smiles from nearby faculty members that happened to overhear the conversation among the archaeology students "it wouldn't be fair to the rest of the class that have missed out on the sessions"

"That's only because they eventually turn into beach parties by sunset." retorted Ben with a knowing smile, then noticing as some of the frat brothers had begun walked off to their courses "We're still on for Nate's party tonight, right?"

"Definitely, I'll have the cake ready by the time he gets in from his team practice" waving off the remainder of the group, going back to his report and annotations.

The past six weeks had been somewhat demanding on Keitaro's nerves, as soon as he had a free moment from in between school courses or while chatting up colleagues at social events or other professional gatherings; one Himawari Kanzaki would unexpectedly appear before him to smother him with her charms, attention, sometimes very noticeable Public Displays of Affection.

The young woman in question was in her early twenties, she loved showing her off fair skin, often running her fingers through her waist long blonde curls, winking her crimson red eyes and proudly sashaying the hips on a body that just wouldn't quit. While he was as hot blooded as the next guy, he believed that giving into the crown jewel of the Kanzaki Zaibatsu would somehow be worse than the past three years of 'penance' under a certain group of mostly-model beautiful girls living at an Inn turned Dorm in the Hills of Kanagawa, Japan.

"Hey! Part-Timer! I finally found you!" came the happy voice of Keitaro's mentor as he walked up to the aforementioned tree, an almost trademark cigarette hanging from his lips "Not that I'm complaining or anything, but I've noticed you've been signing up for more and more site expeditions lately..."

"Ah! Seta-san, yeah..." looking up to the older gent, seriously considering bumming a cancer stick off of him to blow off some stress "just... taking advantage of the extra credits and practical experience they offer."

"Ah, gotcha..." noticing his disciple's slightly nervous body language he decided to lighten up the mood "for a moment there, I thought you were running away from an angry ex-girlfriend or something."

Curious of his mentor's words echoing his frat brothers' earlier comments; he looked around the quad and noticed a couple of students and faculty members from earlier were still loitering not far from him. Dropping his voice to a whisper, he commented in his native language "Are they… keeping tabs on me?... this feels like back in eighth grade."

Following up his movements with a yawn and a stretch, he went back to his notes now brandishing a highlighter and going through various paragraphs writing annotations while he responded to his Sensei in English at a normal volume. "I'm just finishing up a few reports before handing them in."

"Your grades are fine," taking a drag off his smoke and recalling their schedules during this international trip "semester finals are more than two months away and from the looks of it, you've become the Go-To guy to borrow notes from, amongst the students of the Archaeology department"

"Har-dee har-har!" he responded to the light jab at his scholastic abilities. "I guess all that cramming to get into TouDai with Naru finally became useful" shuffling some paperwork, leaving a sheet of paper with scribbled notes next to him. "I honestly didn't expect to have such a great time while on this exchange program, I really appreciate the favor"

"It's the least I could do for you, after helping Haruka and I get back on speaking terms" smiling at a memory not long ago at a hotel near one of the beaches in Japan. "Don't tell me you're missing home and the family?"

"Maybe?... " mulling over his answer while he started putting away his notes "the people here have been very helpful, accommodating and very cool in general." hoisting up his book bag and standing with an honest smile "With how popular I seem some days, I could get used to this!" making his teacher drop his cigarette in surprise at his frank response.

"Don't get a big head Mister Urashima... that's what college life is like" shaking his head with a content smile "wait until you start working, you'll start missing these halcyon days".

"Or once I get back to the Hinata-sou!" laughing at their personal joke while preparing to head off to his last class of the day. "I heard there's a full roster for another Turtle Civilization ruin visit off Santa Monica this weekend, are there any last moment openings for that?"

"The beach visits are ALWAYS popular, but you know I always have you on the VIP list" making shooing motion with his hands "now get going or Jackson-sensei is going to mark you tardy!"

Whispering back in Japanese once he was in earshot "Don't forget to pick up your cigarette, You wouldn't want a fire to break out" then waving his good byes as he walked off proper "I'm going, I'm going... at least his course on hieroglyphs isn't boring."

Shaking his head, the Japanese sensei kneeled to pick up his half burnt cigarette, noticing the well dressed ladies had disappeared moments after his disciple did, noticing a stray piece of paper on the ground under the tree, pocketing it quickly he headed off to his temporary office to tend to other paperwork.

* * *

Hours later, at a penthouse apartment not far from UCLA, Himawari Kanzaki was lounging in front of a giant monitor showing edited videos taken long ago of family celebrations at home, while noshing on spoonfuls of Haagen-Dazs cherry vanilla ice cream. "Oh Kei-sama... you were always such a cutie, I love how good you've always been at playing hard to get" on screen a little girl with curly golden blonde hair appeared, playfully brandishing an ink brush while chasing after a frantic little brown haired boy with more than a few X's and O's painted on his face.

Moments later she turned off the display as a young lady in a form fitted and tailored butler suit walked over to her. "The dossier on Urashima-sama is still being updated as per your instructions, Ojou-sama. The research team provided this condensed version while they fact check content from the past three years that seemed to have inconsistencies in the reports the people questioned."

The blonde heiress was giddy with delight as she was presented with a folder with various pictures of her beloved and other redacted documents. "This will do for now Stella, but inform them a bonus will be paid they are able to find some REALLY juicy gossip."

Himawari's steward and personal attendant nodded as she checked an incoming text message. "SP team informs the subject has arrived at his frat house with two cases of soda, various boxes of cake mix, assorted party favors and a couple of boxes of Thin Mint girl scout cookies... should we continue to monitor?"

"I miss his Death by Chocolate Cake" she bit a nail as another memory of hers re-surged, although partially soured by his playing hard-to-get moments after she had arrived at his Secondary School on the Valentines day of his third year. While she was saddened that she could not present him with a token of her love, the cake he had left for her (or so she claimed) was magnificent and befitting one of her stature. "Anything else happen to MY Kei-sama today, Stella?"

After a few moments of scrolling through various texts on her cell phone, "just his usual attendance of school courses, networking with colleagues and roughhousing with the other tenants of his frat house" the female butler then added "although he was seen speaking to his mentor and confirming a spot at their periodic beach side events, this weekend in Santa Monica" omitting how the young man seemed to have seemingly berated his teacher for littering.

"Excellent! tell the girls to take the night off..." she almost skipped into her walk in closet once she heard the last tidbit of news "make that the weekend off... with pay!" followed by her trying decide which two piece bikini and sarong combination she would wear to attract and maintain her beloved's attention _'he's just too focused on playing archaeologist in the sand these days'_.

"Your Father explicitly said to remember the Board of Trustees soiree on Saturday night in Beverly Hills, formal attire is expected."

"Awww... I really don't want to attend that stuffy party" she pouted and flailed for a bit, after which an idea came to her as she walked over to the cocktail dresses section, her attention specifically on the selection of Little Black Dresses ."Tell Papa to see about ensuring an additional seat... I WILL MAKE sure Kei-sama WILL be escorting me that evening, I'm sure we can get him a nice suit if he needs one at the last minute."

Stella nodded quietly, she was silently glad the young man that had the Ojou-sama's attention seemed like more of a boy scout and a saint, if a bit plain. _'At least she's not chasing down one of those wannabe pretty boy singers most of her peers seem to be into this year'_ considering her mistress' quirks, there may be no rhyme or reason on her fixation toward this young man. _'What Himawari-sama wants, Himawari-sama gets.'_

* * *

That evening, as he pulled out his almost empty packet of cigarettes, Seta noticed Keitaro's note and began to read. "Okay... lets see what we got here" the note was written down as a simple "TO DO list", with a few items check marked off, while some of the pending ones were in big block print, Seta couldn't help himself and read out loud all the pending items.

"Pick up Dry Cleaning... Sumbit mid-term paper to Jones-sensei... Buy more SURGE sodas for the roomies... Try to get tickets to Seattle Mariners exhibition game (Go Ichiro!)... Send thanks email to Grant-sensei and Sattler-sensei about recent class on Dinosaur fossils... Bake birthday cake for Drake-kun..." snickering at some of the habits his student had picked up from and shared with the locals.

"Call home (report in)..." blinking confused at that last bullet point "eh, he probably hasn't checked in lately... aaaand he won't mind me passing on the rest of the messages." With a foxy grin on his face, he went ahead and dialed up the Hinata Tea House, hoping to reach his long time friend and ex-girlfriend.

Mustering up some courage, he put on airs as he heard the phone answer on the other end "Hello Beautiful!"

...

"What? I can't call you in the middle of the day anymore?"

...

"Oh! Then I'm glad I missed the lunch rush!"

...

"Yeah, he's actually doing pretty good" smiling at how easily Keitaro had made friends and networked with his own colleagues "Mr. Popularity is making up for those three years locked up" teased the scruffy man as he light up a new cigarette.

...

"No, not that I'm aware of... although I heard some of his roomies tease him about avoiding a pretty girl that's been hanging around him lately."

...

"Um... a few weeks" a thought came unbidden to his mind, shaking his head at the coincidence "about the same time as he started taking on more projects"

...

"Seems like he really wanted to talk to Granny about a..." looking at the note he read out loud the bolded and underlined word "Sunflower"

...

"Haruka?... talk to me, I know you're still pissed about us, but don't keep me out of the loop this time" taking a long drag as he listened carefully to his ex.

…

"Yeah, I remember… Wait, you mean HER?" stubbing out his cigarette as he started to take down notes.

…

"He's made a good group of friends here that keep him out of trouble..."

…

"Don't worry, I'll still keep an eye on him..."

...

"Tell Sarah I miss her... I miss you too."

Hanging up the call, he tossed his now empty pack of cigarettes into a waste basket and headed to the local convenience store while thinking out loud "you sure know how to pick'em, Part-timer!"

* * *

**Plight**

Noun. A situation, especially a bad or unfortunate one. See synonyms of predicament.

Archaic usage. A solemn promise, especially of engagement; pledge.

Verb. To give into marriage.


	2. Ch2: The Shadow Proves the Sunshine

Disclaimer: Borrowing the characters, setting and scenery from the owners, any Original Characters that spawn from here are mine, tho probably inspired by others from other fandoms. I'm not making a red cent off this belligerent attempt at writing, so don't bother getting the lawyers. Comments and constructive critiques are always welcome and encouraged, flames and troll bait will be recycled for future use.

As always, many thanks to Ordo (sorry that I took your original idea and drove it so far off the intended course) and also to the great and injustice dispensing Lord Raa. Thank you both and the crew at TFF for your comments, questions, concerns and feedback. My gratitude to all the readers on Fan Fiction dot net for your gracious comments and reviews, I hope you all keep enjoying reading as much as I am enjoying writing.

And now, on with the show.

* * *

**A Plight of Fancy**

_Chap. 2 – The Shadow Proves The Sunshine_

Professor Noriyasu Seta's monthly Turtle Civilization site excavation events were one of UCLA's more popular school events this semester. The content was fairly easy to digest, even if the mythos was a bit out there, seriously, who prays to turtles? Access to recently unearthed sites was readily provided to the American University System as the sites usually fell on private properties where the owners dabbled in archaeology or beach sites that belonged to the State or Federal Government.

Today's session though, was the Holy Grail for the students of UCLA's Anthropology and Archaeology department. Located a little over a dozen miles off the Santa Monica pier and literally on an almost picture perfect private beach. Riddled with easy to access caves containing various wall carvings, weathered wall paintings and what seemed like a few sea water damaged rock sculptures. It was like someone decided to mount a small, yet dedicated, Natural History Museum that wasn't open to the public; as visitors needed to be School sponsored to be allowed on site.

As the students attending today gathered near the teachers and assistants in charge, Keitaro was going through the attendance list and confirming the work groups for today's session while doing last minute equipment checkups with his mentor.

"Another full roster, plus volunteers to help with the logistics. How do you do it, Seta-sensei?"

"I know my audience…" responded the older gentleman, as he took a proud drag off his cigarette "and a little positive re-enforcement doesn't hurt a bit".

"Did you get any requests from the campus newspaper or communications department this time?"

"Yeah, had to turn them away this time… today's session was technically overbooked and I know barring any incidents, we're gonna have a bit of an issue with the After-session cleanup."

"Hah! After-session" Doing a quick headcount, Keitaro noticed a few of his frat brothers chatting up some of the female students and saw another group seemed to be crowding around someone wearing a safari hat. 'Odd… wonder if that's someone from another department.'

"Okay Part-time, you know the drill" getting his student's attention "make sure to do the rounds around the groups and feel free to call out people that are detracting from the learning."

"Definitely, the sooner they finish with notes and planned exercises the sooner we can start the Debriefing session." Already used to his teacher's unorthodox teaching style, he did his best to help his peers adapt and keep up the pace "once everyone's good, we pack up and let them cut loose at the public beach a few miles off site."

"You got it!" he smiled at his protégé scratching his head "Man, I should have approached you with projects like these years ago!"

"I would have gladly helped, but well… it did take me a while to finally get into TouDai" answered the ex-ronin sheepishly.

"Well, no sense in dwelling on what ifs Part-Timer" picking up a clipboard with a small stack of papers affixed on to it, he nodded toward the teams "how about we get the show on this road?"

* * *

An hour into the dig, Keitaro had begun rotating among the teams. Checking up on their advancement in their tasks, sharing a laugh where the teams needed a break and sharing tidbits of knowledge where he felt they needed assistance. On average, most teams were on track to finish by the scheduled time, except the ones with his frat brothers who seemed to be advancing faster than the norm and the group with that person with the safari hat which had not reported anything yet.

"Come on guys, work with me here…" directing his attention to the former group "I know this is cake walk for you Ben-san, but you gotta double check some of the information for the whole team's benefit"

"Didn't I tell you he'd catch on to us Mike?" elbowing his fellow frat brother and expedition novice as Keitaro went through their notes with a discerning eye. "Sure he tutors me, but he worries about the team not just the individual."

"We're getting the job done and in record time, shouldn't that count for something?" responded the bigger non Archaeologist toward Keitaro, getting a few nods from his team mates.

"It does count… but we also have a Q&A slash debriefing session at the end of the expedition" with a knowing smile, getting a few groans from the senior-expedition team members.

"A What?" Earning startled shouts from Mike and other new attendees to the monthly event that were in earshot of the ex-ronin's comments.

"Pop Quiz from Hell!" answered Ben with a laugh, getting a nod in thanks from Keitaro, as he was avoiding a well practiced speech "Professor Seta loves to make students and attendants earn the after-expedition party".

Keitaro then stepping in to better explain before the crowd got restless "Seta-sensei explained it to me by misappropriating a phrase that some of the football team players love to use…" getting odd looks he smiled and misquoted "Work hard, Party hard"

This netted him a round of cheers from the momentarily annoyed attendees, before they went back to work. "Kei, how come YOU guys get the cool teachers?" Mike couldn't help but firing one parting shot as the young archaeologist was heading toward the last group.

"That's easy…" getting a few pre-emptive laughs from the senior archaeology students "we Archaeologists and Anthropologists don't get Nobel Prizes, Super Bowl Rings or Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame".

* * *

Meanwhile at the Hinata-sou, partial hell had been released and quickly controlled in the iron fist of one Kanako Urashima. Keitaro's adopted sister had always dreamed to join him and take over the Hinata Inn as landlords… possibly more. Alas, after talking with her parents and been taken on the road with Granny Hina, she had found solace in one of her dreams replaced by a new calling; helping her family find her brother a special someone that would treat him right and cherish him as he so rightfully deserved.

Granny had previously explained her plan to encourage Keitaro to follow his dream of getting into TouDai, but had foreseen his inability to develop deep relationships with women his age, thanks to his childhood promise to a little girl on their estate many, many years ago.

So, Granny did what she does best, she meddled and had brought him into her beloved Hinata Sou as the live in manager-slash-handyman for a group of different young ladies who's personalities, qualities, defects and talents would help bring Keitaro out of his shell by somehow centering him as their emotional anchor.

"I know you've always been sweet on Onii-chan Granny, but you put him in danger with those harridans at the Inn just so he could get finally into Toudai" fumed the younger Urashima at her matron's orders "Why wasn't I sent to keep them on a tight leash on them from day one? Why now?"

"If you had been there, YOU would have been his sword when he didn't need one" effectively stopping the younger ones silent rage understanding the elder's cryptic words. "You know he had the talent to heal their wild hearts… but now they need to realize he isn't a toy to be played with."

"You sound make it sound like he's a prize to be won" sniffed the young woman, a bit of frustration in her words at her inability to 'play the game' her grandmother had set into motion.

"You could be surprised Kana-chan, a few clans out there find him quite the catch" sighed the playful matron "if only their daughters would have given him half the chance the girls at Hinata Sou did."

One couldn't possibly say Hina Urashima's plan was a booming success, the elder Urashima had been glad her schemes had begun to pay off in spades. Hearing about her beloved Grandson's deeds from second parties and contacts had appeased some of her regrets about meddling so much in her only male grandson's life.

His triumph at finally getting into TouDai had brought a happy tear to her eyes, comments from the Aoyama house in Kyoto at the young mistress' successful challenge against the current head instructor (with the support of a certain Urashima male) male made her cackle with glee, calls from the Su family of Mol-Mol always ended in a gracious and thankful note from the esteemed parents; even the off and on reports from her unsuspecting mole at the old Inn turned Dorm had made her both wince and smile.

Only one outcome had been left undecided, who would eventually find that special place in her grandson's heart and gladly occupy it? This is where Kanako came in. She would be her right hand woman to separate the wheat from the chaff. If there was anyone that could be cold, practical and methodical enough to open their eyes and see what she had intended for them and her grandson, it would be her adopted grand daughter.

She could only hope the girls would both forgive her over-reaching actions and thank her well-intentioned but forceful means. Being a clan head sometimes meant making hard if not ugly decisions and taking measures to get things done.

* * *

Four months into her indenture as the temporary Manager of the Hinata Sou, she had become to bristle at the tenants ideas of what she was supposed to do, often comparing her to her brother and his way too lax ways of dealing with things.

The whole contest she had set up to win her support, by using her Onii-chan's supposed affection stats had sown discontent once she had ramped up the level of stress. Even more than that time they had disguised Mutsumi-san to look and act like her brother had been both a good measuring stick to gauge their affections and fuming excersise in frustration at certain responses.

"I'm glad Onii-chan decided to leave them alone and not call in often while on his trip" sighed Kanako late one night, in her room/office going trough her daily notes "I'm starting to run out of patience with all of them... but I just don't want to give my Onii-chan away to any of them".

She thumbed through older notes from both Keitaro and Granny about the tenants, whom she was currently testing as possible maids/attendants, in her attempt to turn the Dorm back into an Inn. "Narusegawa and Aoyama seem to be more accepting of my conditions… Konno and Su are rebelling just because they can… and Maehara seems to sway toward the pair has the most momentum at the moment."

"Knowing your brother, he's probably playing hard to get, nya?" responded her faithful black cat as she looked up to her mistress from her bedding "or he's already bedded one of the girls here?"

"Hardly, Kuro… Oniichan is not the type of man who would shirk his responsibilities because of his hormones" remembering her brother fondly then taking another hard look at Granny's latest fax, she seriously wondered if she should just let proverbial the cat out of the bag and have them deal with it themselves "today is one of those days I wish I wasn't adopted."

_Kanako:_

_Thanks to Haruka's words during her last call, I am forced to disclose the following information to you. While she's not a bad candidate, Keitaro's reactions in the past were very unfavorable toward her aggressive attentions. We pretty much forced their clan to rein her in by threatening to press charges as she was pretty much stalking him, bless your brother's huge heart as he unknowingly used his dream of getting into TouDai as both an excuse and a condition for him to be considered husband material for her._

_Love Granny_

_PS: I leave up you to the matter of discussing a possibility of an engagement in the near future… that is, if anyone of them seems interested before the alternative decides to show up eventually._

Himawari Kanzaki

Date of Birth: August 5th, 1977  
Hair Color: Blonde  
Eye Color: Red  
Height: 172 cm (information out of date)  
Weight: ? Kg (information unavailable)  
Vital stats: 88/63/89 cm (information out of date)  
Blood Type: AB (Rh+)

Body Type: Very Healthy  
Western Zodiac: Leo  
Chinese Zodiac: Snake

Occupation: Zaibatsu Heiress/University Student (taking year off)  
Likes: dark chocolate, leading people, haute couture, Keitaro Urashima***1**  
Dislikes: being ignored, showing weakness, indecisiveness

Guys want to be with her, Girls want to be her. Crown jewel of the Kanzaki Zaibatsu.  
Daughter of current CEO Karin Kanzaki. Declared official heir by her Grandmother,  
and current head of the family, Sumire Kanzaki at the tender age of 13.

A statuesque young woman, often sought for modeling and public events due to her good  
looks and strong independent character. Her family has given her carte blanche to  
determine who her significant other (read as: husband/consort) shall be, as long as  
she produces an heir by the age of twenty seven (27). Often surrounded by young men  
of prominent families, she has rebuffed many of her suitors' advances commenting on  
their lacking of certain qualities she finds important, if not necessary to influence  
her eventual decision.

A student of International Business and Management at Yokohama National University,  
she has her sights set on improving on her family's ideals, adapting them to an ever  
changing world and maintain them at the top echelons of society. Currently enjoying  
a one year hiatus/sabbatical to assist with family business and living the jet-set  
life a young woman in her financial and political position can afford. Last seen in  
Southern California, frequenting various high class establishments and attending social  
galas as expected of a maiden of her social standing.

_***1** Granny Note: She met Keitaro over ten years ago, when he used to accompany me to _  
_various clan events where she had also attended. She developed an almost unhealthy attachment _  
_to him and would often request his presence at any event her parents would force her to _  
_attend. Being his kind self, he suffered under her attentions at more than a few events, _  
_although she eventually self-styled herself as his fiancée without consulting with her clan _  
_or ours._

* * *

Toward the end of the team activities, Keitaro walked up to what he ha dubbed the "safari hat" team. He couldn't help but feel something was slightly off about this team, while they had not sent reports in the last few hours, they seemed to working like a well oiled machine _'I wonder who their team leader is, these guys usually goof around more often or pester other teams for help'._

Noticing a couple of team members away from person with the safari hat he saw earlier, he decided to walk over to the person that seemed to be their leader today. "Excuse me, does your team have any questions about today's activities? They haven't sent in the expected periodic advance reports during today's session"

"None whatsoever" answered happy voice belonging to a smiling blonde responded. "although they did not inform me we had to check in often… Kei-sama"

Himawari Kanzaki strikes again, this time dressed in what would look like authentic mid 1900's Safari clothing: a British khaki shirt with the sleeves rolled up, tucked into tasteful khaki cargo shorts, light brown work boots at her feet, while her golden mane done up and hiding under a fancy Pith Helmet "safari hat" covering her head; a few loose strands of blonde hair framing her face.

"What are YOU doing here?" responded the young archaeologist, looking somewhat upset, in-between concerned and angry at the non student's shenanigans.

"A friend of mine called in sick at the last minute and called me up to make use my Management skills to keep her team from flunking" smiling sweetly, trying to calm him down "I only took her up on the offer…"

"Okay, I'll let it slide this time" sighing in slight defeat he let her continue, as she had effectively curved most of this specific team's bad habits "give me a quick run through of your team's operations and activities today, they are the only ones that haven't checked in."

And she did more than a creditable job, considering this was not her area of expertise. Quicky clearing up areas of difficulty with her myriad of skills had been a boon for her team "although getting to see my favorite archaeologist in action was more than worth waking up early on a weekend."

"I'm not that good" blushing at the not so thinly veiled compliment and deciding to return fire, since she had been professional during this meeting "besides, I know leading teams like these can be as bad as herding cats, but you're doing a great job, keep it up!"

"Thank you Kei-sa… Keitaro-san" she smiled back with a light blush on her cheeks, acting a bit more reserved that she normally would. 'baby steps Himawari, this is his turf, and there's no sense in ruining the moment' "Um… if you have some time later, after today's activities that is…" looking around feeling a little brave she continued "would you spare me some time? I'd like to talk, no strings attached, just two acquaintances catching up."

"No, not as acquaintances…" feeling emboldened by his words, he started to walk away missing her saddening face. Switching to his native tongue, he looked over shoulder at her with a slight smile and declared few steps away "but as two long lost friends, ne?"

"Un!" she nodded happily as he went to see about the next team. Her mind shifting back to getting her team to really shine for the only person that mattered and whom she would consider her superior, if only for today _'thank you Keitaro, for understanding.'_

* * *

By mid afternoon, the beach near the Santa Monica pier had been mostly commandeered by the majority of UCLA's Anthropology and Archeology Department; after a grueling morning of digging and documentation followed up by a debriefing-slash-examination session of the likes normally seen in professional circles, the young adults in attendance decided to make good with their relaxation time afterwards.

"You sure weren't kidding when you said Professor Seta liked to work hard, Kei" commented Mike while tossing around a football around with some of the attending frat brothers gathered near the cookout tent.

"Be glad this is a School sponsored dig, privately funded ones are even more picky when delivering reports and appraising unearthed artifacts" nodded the ex-ronin as he helped the logistics crew with the cook out preparations.

"Good to know for the future!" replied Ben as his attention became more focused on checking out the local scenery now occupied with some of the cutest college girls in Southern California. "But right now, it's time to enjoy the sights and sounds of the beach!"

"And HE says I'M shameless…" sighed Mike as he walked off toward a group starting up a game of touch football on the sand.

_'The difference is Ben-san doesn't have a girlfriend, while you do, Mike-san'_ shaking his head, Keitaro kept his retort to himself as he went back to the task of helping with the cooking.

A few minutes later, his mentor walked up to the food tents meaning to check up on his protege "Need an extra pair of hands to flip those burgers, Part-timer?"

"The more the merrier, actually need someone to slice up some tomatoes" responded the student "just make sure you dispose of that cigarette properly, we don't want people wondering why their burger is extra 'smoky'."

"Jeeze, everyone's a health nut nowadays!" the senior archaeologist sighed as he was deprived of his tobacco "nice use of diplomatic skills with the non department signups there…"

"I can't take all the credit on that one Seta-sensei, some of the more excitable members of the teams were getting restless" carefully flipping a couple of burgers on the grill "so I remembered what you said about knowing your audience, and put it to practice."

"What about the problematic stragglers that usually team up?" smirking a bit, having withheld information about the more difficult students attending as a personal test for his disciple.

"Ah, that was already taken care of before I got there" glad that a certain young lady had taken control of the situation "I just went in asking for results and got what I wanted".

"Look at you, Mister Urashima" playfully elbowing the younger man as a few of the ladies were getting interested in the master and student talk "how'd you get so cool and in control?"

"Oh you know…" making some shadow boxing moves "gotta learn to roll with the punches, when in the School of Hard Knocks" then swishing his spatula around as if it were a katana "and having a Sensei to share some sage advice doesn't hurt."

"Rub it in why don't you" the teacher responded, as he fondly remembered a certain tea shop owner back in Japan. "Still, good job taking point on addressing the teams; was a huge load off of my plate."

"I'm just glad for this chance to learn and stretch my wings a bit, away from the pressures at home" finishing up another batch of burgers, Keitaro took a good look around the beach, noticing a familiar mane of golden curly hair relaxing under the shade of an umbrella not far.

"Hey Keitaro" looking in the direction of his student's glance, deciding to bite the proverbial bullet, switching to their native language to preserve the ex-ronin's humility "I took the liberty of calling Haruka for you the other day… about that girlfriend all your frat brothers have been teasing you about."

"So, uh… when did you find out she has been… actively searching for me?" wincing a bit as he had not disclosed his recent interactions with the young heiress.

"About a month ago…" returning to the meal preparations "some of the faculty members were curious about the young lady following you around at school functions so... insistently"

"We... met up at a local bar a few weeks before that" remembering that night, smiling at her not so discrete actions "and she's been popping up every so often, I'm sorry if she's being a burden."

"Actually that's what I wanted to ask you, is she being a bother to you?" showing honest concern for the younger man "You know I can make a few calls or we could get Old Lady Hina involved."

Shaking his head, he couldn't help but smile at her earlier actions. "It's okay Seta-san, we're in the process of burying the hatchet, speaking of which" he finished preparing a couple of burgers, then tossed his 'kiss the cook' apron at the older man "we owe each other a long standing heart-to-heart talk, and I intend to make good on that debt."

"Just give a holler if you need anything, ok?" smiling as his disciple walked off with a purpose _'haven't seen him this focused since he said good bye to the girls months ago…'_ taking his student's place at the grill, he lit up another smoke offering some students some of his extra smoky well done burgers _'I hope you know what you're doing Part-timer.'_


	3. Ch3: All the Right Moves

Disclaimer: Borrowing the characters, setting and scenery from the owners, any Original Characters that spawn from here are mine, although they probably inspired by other fandoms. Please note, I'm not making a red cent off this belligerent attempt at writing, so don't bother getting the lawyers. Comments and constructive critiques are always welcome and encouraged; flames and troll bait will be accepted and recycled for future use.

As always, many thanks to _Ordo_ sorry that I took your original idea and drove it so far off the the deep end, _ThreadWeaver_ for the constant C&C, spelling and grammar fixes; and also to the great injustice dispensing _Lord Raa_ for the inspirational lulz. Thank you and the rest of crew at TFF for your comments, questions, concerns and feedback. My heartfelt gratitude to all the readers on Fan Fiction dot net for your gracious comments and reviews, I hope you all enjoying reading as much as I am enjoying writing this story.

And now, as the peanut gallery has been urging, time to get on with it!.

* * *

**A Plight of Fancy**

_Chap. 3 - All The Right Moves_

If there was one thing Keitaro Urashima has learned about himself throughout his life, is that his desire to help the people around him had gotten him into interesting situations. Visiting islands in the South Pacific and trips across Japan had become par for the course, although these experiences would have never really prepared him to bury the hatchet with his long time... acquaintance.

_'Stay cool Kei... she just wants to be friends again, and we're good with keeping friends... right?'_ this thought had ran through his mind multiple times throughout the day. Ever since she appeared at the dig, he couldn't help but doubt her intentions, and still after she proved she wasn't going to glomp him or act like they were an item in such a public setting.

Carrying a couple of burgers, he steeled himself as he walked over to the reason most of the guys at his frat house teased him. _'Although, she has been pretty quiet today... I would have expected her to be showing off in some sexy swimsuit by now... No! Bad Kei!'_

A few feet away, under a beach umbrella and sitting on a simple beach towel was Himawari. Taking a while to appraise her looks, he noticed that unlike most of the other young women, splashing around the shallow waves in a form fitting one or two piece swimsuit; she had instead swapped her pith hat for stylish sunglasses and ditched her boots so as to dig her bare feet in the sand, calmly enjoying the sounds of the beach by herself.

Taking a deep breath and gathering a little courage, he walked up to her with a bit of flourish and presented her with the humble meal he had prepared. "One Sunshine special... medium well burger, pickles, lettuce, light on the onions on a sesame seed bun."

"You remembered... to hold the tomato?" he caught the surprised look behind her sunglasses which was followed by an earnest smile, making him think this was all worth the little show he had put up for her.

"Unless Lady Sumire finally got you to finish up your veggies" he laughed back munching on his burger.

"Grandmother still holds me to that expectation when we dine together..." she pouted cutely before proceeding to nibble at her lunch. "Hina-sama never got angry about me making you eat my veggies."

"Well, someone had to eat them..." he winked back playfully in between bites, then switching to a teasing smile. "Or we BOTH would have gotten scolded for being fussy eaters back then."

"My hero, the Vegetable Vanquisher!" she replied playfully earning his laugh, but then her face was adorned with a sad smile. "Was I really that bad? To drive you away like I did?"

"We weren't a real couple, Himawari." looking to the beach remembering their childish misadventures. "I didn't mind you chasing me around and pretending I was your Fiancé... but I knew you really didn't see me that way."

"Yes I did!" she put her food down and angrily demanded his attention. "You were MY fiancé Keitaro!"

"I was your friend, Himawari. I never asked you to be my fiancée..." turning to face her, he looked into her eyes "that wasn't fair to me, or to yourself."

An uncomfortable silence hung between them, letting them return to their unfinished meals. The young lady looked more thoughtful, stopping herself multiple times, reformulating her response to his last comment every time.

"I... didn't want to lose my best friend." _'My only friend' _eyes covered by her hair and head hung in shame as she admitted to herself her real reasons "but I still scared you away, didn't I?"

"A little, but I know you didn't really mean to." Their 'break up' years ago came to mind, now felt like a lifetime ago "Remember what I told Lady Sumire about the engagement."

"That I deserved someone better... someone great that could go to TouDai." the bittersweet memory made her smile, having taken a positive meaning to his reasoning back then, she had believed he had done it for her.

"That... that was an excuse" he admitted and before she could comment he added "and I apologize for hurting your feelings."

"You don't have to apologize Keitaro, you… you had a good reason to address our relationship the way you did." Her memories gained another component, by absolving her of past misdeeds and admitting his reason wasn't all that noble. "Although you still made good on your word, you entered TouDai; at least that dream came true."

"Actually, it wasn't really a dream of mine..." gulping nervously as he decided to share a little more of his motivations "I ah… made a promise… with someone."

"How could you! You made a promise with someone else, behind your fiancé's back?" she lightly beat on his shoulder playfully; her voice had a tinge of mock anger.

"No no... This was before we met." Replying bashfully as he scratched the back of his head.

"Oh!" any anger, playful or real on her part, was immediately replaced with curiosity "did that person ever find out; that you made good on the promise?"

"I'm not sure, we never met up again." He wasn't quite sure if that response was a lie or not; neither Naru nor Mutsumi were ever able to fully convince him either of them was his promise girl.

"Well, whoever that person is... they're missing out on a great friend."

"Yeah" smiling at her, he extended his hand in a gesture of peace "friends?"

"Friends!" she shook his hand formally, then moments later latched onto his arm and drew circles on his chest with a fingertip, while shamelessly asking "Are you suuuuuure you don't want a beautiful, rich and sexy girlfriend like me?"

"'Mawari..." he frowned lightly at her half-joke_. 'definetly worse than Kitsune... sometimes.'_

"Kidding!" she grinned not unlike a certain vixen he knew back home _'at least he didn't flat out say No.'_

Shaking his head and sighing he couldn't help but smile. "You really love to make this hard for me, huh?"

"Can't blame a girl for trying, Sunshine." she winked back at him.

Feeling a little bold, he looked up to her in a slightly formal tone "You know… I WOULD take you up on the offer" he waiting patiently until her face showed a shocked expression, then he dropped the bomb on her "but the semester will be over in a few months, and I'll have to head back home to Japan"

"Tease! Meanie!" she leaned into him and grabbed onto his arm, enjoying his comforting presence.

"It's about time I get back at you." He rasp-berried back at her, only to share a long laugh afterwards. Being honest with himself, he truly never did mind her attentions one bit. What warm blooded male would; knowing they would eventually be separated again due to their responsibilities, he made a decision. "Look... I won't promise anything... and you're not obligated to accept but, how about we go out?"

"Excuse me?" she looked at him as if he had grown a second head, never had she expected HIM to drop a bombshell like this.

"You, Me, go out, attend events together, catch a game, go to amusement parks, go bar hopping..." then making sure she wouldn't misunderstand, he added "just two friends making up for lost time."

"I'd... like that." A radiant smile coming to her lips, as a previously half discarded plan decided to fall into place without her even trying. "Funny thing you should mention that, Keitaro..."

* * *

"I should have just kept my mouth shut," commented the young man as he looked at himself in a full length mirror. His smart reflection in the mirror mimicked his fidgeting motions.

"Is everything alright, Keitaro-sama?" came a reply from a young lady in a form fitted suit checking last minute alterations to the young man's attire. "If need be, we can call back the tailor to redo the pants if they are too tight".

"No, no... everything is okay, Stella-san," he responded with a slightly nervous tone to the steward of the Kanzaki heiress. "Just thinking out loud," he added with a chuckle.

The female butler only nodded in response as she continued to take care of other last minute details for the event that the mistress who employed her and her chosen companion would be attending this evening.

Going through his memories of his talk with Himawari earlier that same day, Keitaro felt he may have rushed to volunteer himself in escorting his newly re-instated friend that evening to a black tie event, which her father had insisted her attendance was mandatory.

Keitaro smiled as he fiddled with a tie that just wouldn't stay properly in place. "I apologize for having you arrange this get up for me on such short notice."

"That's quite alright, Keitaro-sama... Ojou-sama often has more complicated last minute requests." Looking back to him, she noticed his crooked neck piece and barely stifled a giggle.

"I told you, you don't need to use -sama when addressing me, Stella-san," he answered back with a mock serious tone.

"Nonsense Keitaro-sama." The attractive servant walked over to the young archaeologist and fixed his tie for him with a placid smile. "Besides, that courtesy is reserved for Himawari-sama, now that she's back in your good graces."

"While I do admit that we did have a falling out..." he paused to find the right words to explain to himself why he got himself into this not uncomfortable situation, "I guess we both needed some time away from each other, and grow up."

Stella nodded, remembering when her charge was younger and even more impulsive. However, she could not resist and the urge to tease the young man that had never gone away from her mistress' heart. "That might be a reason... then again, people do say that absence makes the heart grow fonder," she finished with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

_'Or go yonder,' _Keitaro added mentally, momentarily getting the feeling that he was ignoring something, or someone.

"Anyhow, I'm glad that Ojou-sama will be escorted by a very dashing gentleman tonight, Keitaro-sama," she continued as she placed what appeared to be a small retractable baton onto his hands, seemingly unfazed by his lack of response.

"Huh?" Keitaro responded as he felt the item. "What's this?"

"Something extra I thought you might need if things get rough," she explained while pointing out how to deploy and retract the tool. "Ojou-sama and a group of her peers often escape these events after midnight and head out to local bars and pubs. Regretfully, they tend to attract some... unsavory characters once in a while."

"Ahh... gotcha." The Urashima heir felt a little prouder of himself as the steward had trusted him enough to have charged him with protecting his friend in case of emergency.

"Feel free to whack any annoying wannabe suitor that gets too close to her also." She offered a playful if feral grin toward him. "God knows how much Ojou-sama hates when they get a little too fresh with her."

"Wait... suitors?" He was keenly aware of other guys interested in and hitting on Himawari, as weeks ago one of his smoother Frat-brothers had once tried one of his best pick up lines at a school function they had attended. Said Frat-brother's "hook up" streak crashed and burned when she flat out ignored him just to proceed and glomp onto Keitaro, regaling her prey with her own brand of Public Display of Affection.

She directed a serious if formal glance at him; he could almost see a plea in her eyes. "Did you think a beautiful maiden of her social stature had not piqued the interests of other families... or their unwed males?"

"So... are you asking me to be more than a friend-slash-bodyguard to her?" he queried as he returned the serious look.

"It's not my place to ask you to make that decision," she responded while she shifted uncomfortably, "but as her personal steward, I would be greatly relieved if you would... defend her honor."

"Don't worry Stella-san," he sighed in relief, finally understanding her words and remembering his earlier concession to Himawari, then sharing a knowing smile. "I've been told many times I'm the type of guy that goes out on a limb for his friends."

"Thank you Keitaro-sa-" she was interrupted by the room's phone ringing, then her charge's frantic voice on the speakerphone.

"Steeeeelllaaaaa! heeeeelp! I can't find my lucky eeeeearriiiiings!"

"Go ahead and take care of that delicate flower, Stella-san," he chuckled at his friend's best spoiled brat tone on the phone. "She seems to need the help more than I do right now."

The young steward looked to the young archaeologist and offered a formal and thankful bow before heading off to attend the young heiress' needs.

_'I really, REALLY need to learn to keep my mouth shut!'_

* * *

The sun had set hours before the couple arrived at the event that evening. A light breeze swayed branches of nearby palm trees, but it wasn't strong enough to deter the attendants from showing up at the soiree.

The evening had been quite busy being introduced to many members of the higher echelons of academia, public office and private corporations. He could have sworn he saw a few of his favorite Hollywood celebrities, but he was glad that neither they, nor Himawari met up to chat; else he would have broken his quiet demeanor, which currently came off as formal if not stoic, compared to the social butterfly that he was escorting that evening.

Whenever someone came up to the Kanzaki heiress and her companion, she would present him as a long time friend and confidant. While the title was not completely off base, he would sometimes act a little more zealous toward her, particularly around other men that seemed to linger about her a little too long. _'Stella-san wasn't off one bit with her comments about Himawari's popularity.'_

"All Hail the Conquering Hero!" rang a dramatic soprano voice with a slightly teasing lilt, which immediately garnered the couple's attention. The voice belonging to a mature blonde woman with curls in ringlets draping over her shoulders and framing her face. A healthy and elegant dame, very much what one would expect Himawari would look in a couple of decades or so.

"Mo-ther!" Himawari responded, both sounding embarrassed and proud at the statement that was lobbed in her general direction.

"Oh hush dear!, I'm just giving credit where credit is due." The lady in question touched an expensive looking fan to her lips before directing her gaze at her daughter's date. "Ohohohoho… If it isn't young Keitaro Urashima, I am politely surprised to see my daughter's childhood friend make such a triumphant return to high society."

"Ka-Karin-sama, it's a pleasure to see you again after so many years." He greeted the Kanzaki mother, remembering their last meeting years ago at his 'breakup' with her daughter. Hoping she would not make a scene about his attendance that evening. _'I'm doomed! There went what little social standing I had.'_

"Let me take a good look at you young man… I did not expect you to grow up so handsome." She eyed him carefully, seemingly taking in not just the cut of his suit, but the overall image he presented, "or to be so successful. I hear congratulations are in order… Mister TouDai student."

"Ah! Th-thank you, Karin-sama. I guess I finally made good on that promise." He blushed but couldn't think of anything else to say, hoping she would be appeased with what he had become.

"Still ever the shy one, huh?" A purposeful and almost evil grin spread across her lips as she walked over to the nervous young man and linked arms with him. "I believe I will borrow your date for a bit sweetie, for tonight Karin Kanzaki shall dance."

"Mouuu… don't hog him all night Mother, Papa might get jealous!" fumed the heiress, feeling gypped as her mother walked away with her friend and date for the evening.

"But sweetie, you KNOW that is EXACTLY why I do it!" shot back the elder Kanzaki with a jubilant laugh.

Once on the dance floor, they danced arm in arm in silence while Keitaro gathered both his courage and thoughts, as to what to talk about with the elder Kanzaki woman.

As the current song slowed down, he started, "Um, Karin-sa-"

"Okaa-sama," she quickly cut off before he properly began, "you are almost part of the family, Keitaro-kun. Don't be so formal and stuffy!"

Keitaro couldn't help but groan at her response, but waited until she allowed him to speak as they continued to dance to a slow waltz played by the musicians. _'I'm definitely not going to get a word in edgewise, might as well face the music…'_

"The fact that you are here, with her, tells me you two decided to work together through some of your issues," her serious tone calmed his doubts about Himawari's family, "and for, that I'm thankful that you've let her back into your life."

He was expecting to get an earful, about how he had let her little princess down or how he had ran away from the heiress. The cordial and frank words were refreshing and very welcome to him.

"She took the separation very hard back then, but it was a bitter pill that needed to be swallowed," she kept his attention with her admissions as the band continued with another song, "but, now you're back and she seems happier than ever."

As Keitaro was about to reply, he felt a tap at his shoulder. He stopped dancing as they looked to a gentleman older than him, Himawari's father if memory served right. After a few pleasantries and an almost extorted promise to visit the Kanzaki family home, he presented the young Archaeologist with his daughter and took his wife back to continue dancing.

"Make sure to have our princess back at her tower before it gets too late, Keitaro-kun!" admonished the elder Kanzaki woman, eliciting the groan from the young couple. Just before her husband whisked her away she followed up with a parting shot, "But know that you have our blessing if you intend to steal her away to your castle."

"Mo-ther!" cried the younger Kanzaki woman, embarrassed at the public teasing by her mother.

Her date on the other hand, smiled and decided to go with the flow and return volley at the elegant Kanzaki elder, "We'll get back to you on that last one, Okaa-sama!"

"Kei-Keitaro!" her shocked response was all she was allowed to comment before her date for the evening decided to give his good friend a night she wouldn't soon forget.

* * *

He had been awake for the past thirty minutes or so, taking stock of the unfamiliar ceiling and trying to make heads and/or tails of his alcohol laced fragmented memories of the night prior... and the very healthy young lady holding him not unlike a child would an over-sized teddy bear.

"Could someone please turn off that light?" inquired a voice belonging to the head of blonde curls nuzzling against his chest. "People are trying to sleep here."

"Can't turn off the sun, 'Mawari," replied his slightly parched voice. That earned him a sweet snicker followed by a languid hug from his bed mate. ''Remind me to buy black out drapes next time, Sunshine."

He nodded quietly before he voiced his current main concern "Part of me is already regretting saying this but... why aren't I on the floor, another room or my frat house porch?"

"Because you're comfy!" She snuggled into him a little more. "Besides, Stella will be bringing in a hangover remedy once she notices we're not snoring."

Laughing at her initial response he pressed forward "I'm pretty sure we both have some questions racing through our minds right now so, ladies first."

"Knowing Mother, she probably ordered Stella to keep us locked in here while we were mostly drunk." she looked up to him, her chin lightly digging into his chest and sporting a Chesire cat grin "She's probably expecting us to need a priest by now... disappointed we didn't go at each other like rabbits?"

"Glad we didn't-" he aborted his response half way as he noticed her slightly hurt reaction. "It would have been a shame to have been too drunk to remember my first time, especially with a beautiful young woman."

"Flattery will get you everywhere with me Keitaro... speaking of which," she smirked at him saucily, "are you really this healthy or are you just that happy to see me first thing in the morning?"

"Healthy, although that 'Property of UCLA Athletic Department' t-shirt isn't helping one bit..." he responded with a blush normally seen on a cherry tomato.

She beamed proudly at getting a rise out of him, then sighing as she went back to a more serious tone, "Might as well get the obvious one out of the way... are we married?"

"Unless this isn't your room, I don't remember anyone saying anything about going to Vegas last night, so I'll hazard it and say… no." He snickered at a barely audible jeer he got from her. "Should I be worrying about and/or preparing myself for a shotgun wedding?"

She took her time to respond, "As much as I loathe to admit it, Yes; I'm still a maiden, and you ensured that my chastity was well guarded all night… even from myself." She snickered and poked him in the chest teasingly, "I thought you hated fighting, where did you learn how to fight?"

"Seta-sensei's been drilling me on some Jeet-Kune-Do during our down time at dig sites the past year or so... he says it's good to know a little self defense." As memories from the past night started filtering in, he remembered drinks. Lots of them. "Just how much alcohol did we put away?"

"We barely touched the wine at the soiree, but we really cut loose with the hard liquor at the after party, although we stopped by the time we got to that bar on the Sunset Boulevard..." She trailed off as she fondly remembered how doting and zealous her 'boyfriend' acted all night. "Where did you learn to hold your liquor?"

"I have a friend that's been educating/drinking me under the table the past couple of years." A few stray memories of wild parties at the Hinata Dorm came up, with a certain platinum haired vixen waking up next to him in similar situations to his current.

"What about using that broken pool cue like a makeshift Katana? I didn't know you took up Kendo." Her memory of bar room brawl and how he made sure she came out unharmed became very present and very meaningful.

"I'm not really a student, but I've picked up a few moves." His fond reminiscing led him to remembering a duel or two with a raven haired swords-woman, then he caught himself from proceeding. "Hey! it was my turn to ask a question!"

"Oh, Come on!" she whined cutely as she nuzzled into his shoulder. "You make your time away from me sound so much more interesting and exciting, Archaeologist-san!"

"I'm not gonna give ALL my secrets away, you know..." he said with a wink back at her before deciding addressing one concern he had been nursing since their meet-up with her mother the previous night. "Did you mind me acting like a jealous boyfriend last night?"

"Mind? Silly... I LOVED it!" She snuggled into his chest a little more hiding a deep blush on her cheeks _'It's the little things like this that make me wish you really wanted to be my boyfriend.'_

An hour later and after various questions had been answered, the unresolved-slash-ambiguous couple decided to go out on a picnic and enjoy each other's company for what was left of the weekend.

The fact that Keitaro enjoyed himself immensely for the entirety of that afternoon, while relaxing on a hill overlooking the California coastline, somewhat surprised him. He had half-expected his date to be all over him, but she held herself back and was the picture of the perfect girlfriend.

Himawari would never tell him how much she was holding herself back, for that very effect, with results that made her happier than she had felt in a long while as they watched the sun set into the ocean together.

_'__I guess not all guys like women throwing themselves at them..._'

* * *

Toward the early evening, as she drove him to his Frat house, she decided to keep their small talk going thus extending those last few moments of their weekend together. She seemed to wait patiently for the right moment, also ensuring most of his frat brothers had seen them arrive and park outside. At the moment he was about to head in for the night, she decided to send her beloved off with a searing kiss good night before driving away with a winning smile, leaving him dumbstruck.

Once the shock wore off, he was assailed by his rowdy frat brothers, pestering him for all juicy gossip about his 'Legendary Weekend Rendezvous with his Girlfriend'. Being the gentleman he was he would, halfheartedly, contest that claim until the end of semester and day he left for his homeland.

All in all it had been a good weekend to be Keitaro Urashima.

_Editor's Note: It's good to be the king!_


End file.
